Nandez



(No Model.) 4

H. ROBERTS Y FERNANDEZ.

ENVELOPE.

No. 484,674. Patented Oct. 18,v 18-92 Y 4w U i m A; 41 {gg Z/l'yTNESSE8: INVENTOH:

C/KW6 A TTORNE Y S.

n4: Noam: Perms m, PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, 0. cv

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO ROBERTS Y FERNANDEZ, OF HAVANA, CUBA.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,674, dated October18, 1892.

Application filed May 31, 1892. Serial No. 435,101. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HUGO ROBERTSY FER- NANDEZ, of Havana, Cuba, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Envelopes, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to animprovementin envelopes, and has for itsobject to construct an envelope from but one piece and to provide ameans whereby glue or a cement will not be needed in fastening the partsof the envelopes together, and whereby when said parts are united theenvelope cannot be entered without tearing sundry of the parts; and afurther object of the invention is to provide a means of fastening whichwill be novel, simple, and, effective and capable of being convenientlyand expeditiously manipulated by any person.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is arear elevation of the envelope sealed. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the envelope, it being in the same position shown in Fig.1and the front of the envelope broken away to disclose the fasteningdevice in position. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the blank from which theenvelope is formed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank partially folded.Fig. 5 is a plan view of the envelope viewed from the back,'illustratinga further step in the method of folding. Fig. 6 is a View similar toFig. 5, illustrating the last movement performed in securing theenvelope; and Fig. 7 is a central vertical section through the sealed orclosed envelope, the section being taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

The blank from which the envelope is constructed is formed as shown inFig. 3. The

body 10 of the blank, or what may be termed the body, is rectangular inshape, as indicated in dotted lines. The body is provided with two sideflaps 11 and 12, which flaps are of a width equal to the width of thebody and of such length that when the flaps are folded over upon thebody they will fold one upon the top of the other, the lower flapextending some little distance beneath the upper one. Each of the flapsis provided with two transverse slots 13 and let, the upper slot 13being located in each case at or near the center and near the outeredge, the lower slot 14 being placed about an equal distance between thelower edge of the flap and the upper slot immediately beneath thelatter. The lower portion of the body is adapted to be closed by a flap15, which is angular in form, somewhat triangular in part, the point ofthe free angle being truncated, and on this truncated portion a squareextension 16 is produced, constituting an integral portion of the flap.In the extension 16 a slot 13 is transversely made, and a second slotlet is produced in the body of the flap parallel with the slot 13. Theslots 13 and lat are the same distance apart as the slots 13 and 14 ofthe side flaps, so that by this arrangement when the side flaps arefolded one upon the other the slots produced therein are brought inregistry, and when the lower flap is folded up upon the side flaps theslots 13 and 14: therein register with the slots of the side flaps. Thebody is further provided with an upper flap 17, which is essentially ofthe same shape as the lower flap, except that the square extension 16 issubstituted by a cross-shaped appendage 18, which may be denominated atongue. This tongue 18 comprises a straight or body arm or member 18 anda cross arm or member 18 of much greater width and located near the bodyof the flap.

In Fig. 4 the side flaps are shown as folded one upon the other. In Fig5 the lower flap is shown as folded up upon the side flaps, which nowconstitute the back of the envelope, and in Fig. at the cross member 18of the tongue is illustrated as being folded over upon itself at eachend upon the score-lines shown in Fig. 3, whereby this member of thetongue is doubled and reinforced, and the folded parts may be glued oneto the other, if so desired.

When it is desired to close the envelope, the operation is as follows:The cross member of the tongue is bent upon itself longitudinally uponthe score-line shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the straight portion of thetongue will be carried downward, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and the widthof the cross-arm will be reduced by half. The straight member 18 of thetongue is then carried upward to the position shown in dotted lines,Fig. 5, crossing the cross member 18 and the ends of this cross memberare then folded over upon each other and upon the straight member, asshown in Fig. 6. Thus the tongue is reduced, practically, to an equalwidth throughout its length, and it is introduced first through theslots 13 and 13 of the side and lower flaps, and thence out through thelower slots 14 and 14, as indicated in Fig.1. In Fig. 6 the tongue isillustrated in dotted lines as just entering the upper slots.

By reducing the width of the cross member of the tongue that member maybe carried through the upper slot, and remains folded temporarily withinthe envelope. By taking the envelope in one hand and pressing it at topand bottom or at the sides, so as to spread it, the tongue where it isconnected with the upper flap may be grasped and held while the free orlower end is drawn downward. This movement will cause the cross member18 of the tongue to expand,as shown in Fig. 2, from which figure it willbe observed that it is in the same form as before it was manipulated andas shown in Fig. 4. As the cross member of the tongue is so much widerthan the slots 13, 13, 14, and 14, and lies between these slots, it willbe an utter impossibility for the tongue to be removed from the body ofthe envelope without tearing the latter.

If in practice it is found desirable, a cut 19 may be made in the tongue18 of the envelope at one side, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in order toincrease the sensibility of the tongue,

and while the envelopes do not need to be glued or otherwise cemented itmay be convenient in some instances to glue the edges of the tongue tothe body to prevent loss of parallelism in the former.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecureby Letters Patent- 1. An envelope-blank comprising body 10, havingbottom and end flaps, each provided with a pair of slots to registerwhen the flaps are folded, and the top flap having a cruciform tongue18, the vertical member 18 of which is adapted to pass through the saidthree pairs of slots, while the transverse member 18is of greater widththan the said slots, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An envelope provided through its rear side with upper and lowertransverse slots and with a closing flap having a cruciform tongue 18,adapted to be passed inwardly through the upper slot and outwardlythrough the lower slot, the transverse arm 18 being adapted to be foldedto pass through upper slot and then unfolded to prevent withdrawal ofthe tongue, substantially as set forth.

HUGO ROBERTS Y FERNANDEZ.

\Vitnesses:

WONCESLAO DE VILLA URRUTIAF, J 0st: M. MARTINEZ.

